Redskins vs. Colts then and now
Here is what you need to know on Sunday, September 16, seven days before the Washington Redskins host the Green Bay Packers

Talking points

Here are some final thoughts as the Redskins take on the Colts today.

Weather should not be a factor

The southern turn that Hurricane Florence took earlier this week means that any effects that the DMV will feel from the storm will not take place until later next week. For today it looks like it will be partly to mostly cloudy with the temperature in the low 70’s. That means that the passing of Andrew Luck and Alex Smith will not be affected by a wet ball and that Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson will be running on a dry track. Since sloppy weather can lead to fluky outcomes, the forecast favors the better team, which is Washington.

As Luck goes, so go the Colts

In 2016, the Colts went 8-8 with Luck starting all eight of the wins. Only one of those wins came in the six games in which Luck produced a passer rating of under 90. The Colts only lost once in the nine games where Luck’s passer rating was over 90. Yes, this was two years ago, and the Colts have a new head coach and a lot of new players. However, looking at what the Colts have on defense and their offensive weapons outside of WR T. Y. Hilton, it looks like they don’t have much that can beat you outside of Luck. He’ll need to have a good day for the Colts to stay in it.

More passes to the wide receivers?

Against the Cardinals, the wide receivers were targeted 13 times and they caught eight passes. If those numbers seem low, they are. Last year wide receivers were targeted 19 times per game and they averaged 11 receptions. As the season goes on I think that the receivers will get more chances than they got on Sunday. Smith only attempted 30 passes; Kirk Cousins attempted that many or more in 12 games last year. There will be games where Smith has to pass more and that will increase chances for the receivers. It may not happen today but as the season goes on, Doctson, Richardson, and Crowder will get their chances.

Will the Redskins roll?

The Redskins played what appeared to be an inferior opponent last week and they rolled to an easy win. They have an opponent of similar quality today and they are at home. Will they dominate again? Just once in the Jay Gruden era have the Redskins beaten opponents by 10 points or more twice in a row. That came at the end of the 2015 season when they beat the Bills, Eagles, and Cowboys by double digits. They have had just three two-game winning streaks since the middle of the 2016 season and they haven’t extended one to three games. In short, the Jay Gruden Redskins have been inconsistent. The ability to play at a high level week after week escapes them. Things may be different this year, but I’ll believe it when I see it. The Redskins will win but it won’t be comfortable.